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Develop reports that in addition to the $67.4 million Activision shelled out back in 2007 to buyout the developer, the publisher has also promised to deliver another $40 million if Bizarre is able to satisfy profit expectations over the next four years. The developer’s upcoming arcade racer Blur is obviously one of the properties that Bizarre and Activision are counting on to deliver big sales numbers when it’s released later this year. However, the incentive package will most likely include several other Bizarre titles as well.

It sounds like a decent enough idea, and yet it seems a bit odd for Activision to think that it needs to bribe the developer with such a hefty chunk of money, rather than simply doling it out whenever the developer might need it, especially since Bizarre hasn’t had a misstep yet (The Club being the only possible exception). Unfortunately, the incentive program extends through 2013, so it’s going to be a while before we know if Activision’s strategy is a sound one.